Cooper Blumenthal

I taught the history, theory, and ethics of documentary film: Antioch, Cal State Universities: Long Beach, San Diego, and Los Angeles. I've written and produced documentary films for ABC TV. My own documentary films have been screened and collected in national and international film libraries. I earned my MFA in Documentary Film/TV at Temple University and did post-graduate work as a Directing Fellow at The American Film Institue. The preamble is my way of substantiating the following criticism of HBO Documentary Allen V Farrow. The film is a one-sided argument; very little screen time is given to evidence that gave credence to Allen's "not guilty" plea. Court documents were overshadowed (given major screen time) by hearsay and opinion from Allen's accusers. Filmmakers and viewers regard HBO as the most prestigious and thought-provoking producer and distributor of non-fiction films. I hope HBO re-evaluates this film, armed with the knowledge of the US Constitution, the ethics of documentary, and compassion for a subject whose voice has been unfairly silenced.